National People’s Assembly, Philippines – Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) (original) (raw)

**Civil Society Groups Demand Urgent Action from Government to End Poverty

Civil society organizations (CSOs) from across the Philippines convened at the recent National People’s Assembly, urging the government to take immediate and decisive action to tackle the country’s escalating poverty and inequality. With the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the assembly focused on people-centered policies to alleviate the suffering of millions of Filipinos who are struggling with stagnant wages, rising inflation, and underfunded public services.

**Download the **CSOs ’ Demand Charter, Philippines 2024

The assembly comes as the Philippines grapples with the aftermath of one of the world’s longest pandemic lockdowns, which exposed the country’s weak public health infrastructure and amplified existing social and economic inequalities. Despite the formal end of the public health emergency, Filipinos are still battling the economic consequences, worsened by an inadequate government response to the crisis.

According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), poverty incidence has declined, with the number of poor Filipino families falling to 3 million in 2023. However, civil society groups argue that this reduction is misleading. While the poverty rate has dropped to 10.9%, many families are only just meeting basic needs due to high inflation and stagnant income levels. This lower poverty incidence, they say, does not reflect real economic growth but rather a reaction to rising costs, leaving many Filipinos vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the country’s debt has skyrocketed to PHP 15.7 trillion, with the debt-to-GDP ratio now at an unsustainable 60.15%. The government’s fiscal deficit is projected to reach PHP 1.3 trillion this year, prompting concerns about the country’s increasing reliance on borrowings and taxes to cover budget shortfalls. These fiscal challenges are forcing the government to prioritize debt payments over public spending, placing more pressure on ordinary Filipinos through indirect taxes.

**Key Demands for People-Centered Reforms

The National People’s Assembly resulted in a unified call for the government to refocus its priorities on programs that benefit the public, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable sectors. CSOs are demanding the establishment of universal social protection floors to ensure that all Filipinos have access to essential healthcare, social services, and economic security. This includes prioritizing funding for healthcare, pension schemes, unemployment protection, and targeted assistance for women, children, and persons with disabilities.

Key demands from the assembly include:

**Social Protection and Poverty Reduction:

• Implement a social protection floor to provide adequate healthcare, social services, and income support for vulnerable groups.
• Review the methods used to measure poverty and the food poverty threshold to better reflect social realities.
• Ensure the continuation of vital welfare programs like Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

**Health and Education Investment:

• Retain the PHP 89.9 billion PhilHealth funds to strengthen the Universal Health Care (UHC) system.
• Address child malnutrition and expand healthcare access, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
• Increase funding for education by allocating 6% of the GDP to improve access and quality, including reinstating the PHP 14 billion budget cut for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

**Economic Reforms for Fairer Taxation:

• Shift to a progressive tax system that reduces the tax burden on low-income earners while imposing wealth taxes on the richest individuals.
• Restructure debt mechanisms, seeking debt relief and cancellation of illegitimate debts to free up funds for essential public services.
• Focus on tackling tax evasion, with the Bureau of Internal Revenue yet to collect PHP 148.35 billion from court-decided tax cases.

**Strengthening Civic Space and Democracy:

• Pass a Freedom of Information (FOI) Law to increase government transparency and accountability.
• Protect civic spaces and ensure civil society groups and individuals can freely express their views and participate in the policymaking process.
• Implement measures to protect individuals and organizations from being red-tagged, a practice that threatens the safety of activists and civil society groups.

**Budget Concerns and Accountability

CSOs also raised serious concerns over the government’s current budget priorities. The proposed 2025 National Budget reflects significant cuts in key social sectors such as health, education, and agriculture, which directly affect the poorest households. Meanwhile, defense and public works have received substantial increases, a misalignment that civil society groups argue fails to address the urgent needs of the population.

The assembly also called attention to the growing misuse of confidential funds, with the Commission on Audit (COA) flagging several instances of fund misuse in recent audits. Additionally, the increasing reliance on unprogrammed appropriations, including the possibility of diverting the PHP 89.9 billion PhilHealth funds, has raised alarms among advocates of transparency and good governance.

**The Path Forward

The National People’s Assembly concluded with a clear message: the Philippine government must realign its priorities to better serve the Filipino people. Civil society groups have outlined a plan to address the country’s worsening poverty, economic inequality, and the erosion of democratic space. Without urgent action, they warn, millions of Filipinos will continue to suffer from policies that prioritize debt payments and corporate interests over social services and public welfare.

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